I used to be obsessed with hockey but stopped watching entirely after the last lockout a few years back. Starting to get back into it this year so figured I'd join in.

Crazy how much turnover there has been in the league. It's really become a young mans game. I only recognize like 10% of the players (which makes picks a little bit harder lol). I kept forgetting to make picks early in the season so I've got some catching up to do. Good luck to all!

I used to be obsessed with hockey but stopped watching entirely after the last lockout a few years back. Starting to get back into it this year so figured I'd join in.

Crazy how much turnover there has been in the league. It's really become a young mans game. I only recognize like 10% of the players (which makes picks a little bit harder lol). I kept forgetting to make picks early in the season so I've got some catching up to do. Good luck to all!

"Young's man game" made me laugh. I'm a red wings fan, and the red wings never let anyone go. Well this year they've got fresh faces but couple previous years they had multiple late 30s-40 year old guys on the team. Not sure why. I mean, they're still hot garbage this year, but it's a growing/transition year with Steve Yzerman being the new GM and everything.

"Young's man game" made me laugh. I'm a red wings fan, and the red wings never let anyone go. Well this year they've got fresh faces but couple previous years they had multiple late 30s-40 year old guys on the team. Not sure why. I mean, they're still hot garbage this year, but it's a growing/transition year with Steve Yzerman being the new GM and everything.

Yeah. It's the nature of the league now with all the structure of contracts and caps etc. We had to wait for both Sedins to sprout at least a single grey hair in their goatees before we could move on and let our youth step up and take the lead. Good examples right now would be Florida coming on with their new crop while Chicago aims to own the cellar for a few years.

I fail to see a problem with that. Of course, then we won't be able to sell our tickets for a huge markup those games...

No problem here either my friend! Chicago, Boston and Toronto are Vancouver's 3 most hated teams so they can all go pound ice into sand on a nightly basis as far as I'm concerned.

Boston even more so after they beat Toronto tonight and let you into a 3 way tie for firs with me and Mikey. I knew it was a long shot but hoped the Laffs could pull out a home win for me as I knew both you and him would pick the Beantowners to win that one.

Ah well, with Nuxx's brilliant horseshoe hat trick of the night before the fight for first in our group just got reallllly tight as well it should be. Gonna be a great battle heading for the half way point. Hopefully I can pick up a few points on you while you're on the boat as I do most years haha.

I fail to see a problem with that. Of course, then we won't be able to sell our tickets for a huge markup those games...

No problem here either my friend! Chicago, Boston and Toronto are Vancouver's 3 most hated teams so they can all go pound ice into sand on a nightly basis as far as I'm concerned.

Boston even more so after they beat Toronto tonight and let you into a 3 way tie for firs with me and Mikey. I knew it was a long shot but hoped the Laffs could pull out a home win for me as I knew both you and him would pick the Beantowners to win that one.

Ah well, with Nuxx's brilliant horseshoe hat trick of the night before the fight for first in our group just got reallllly tight as well it should be. Gonna be a great battle heading for the half way point. Hopefully I can pick up a few points on you while you're on the boat as I do most years haha.

Fun times

Boston needed that one to get out of a four game slide. Man, they suck at shootouts. At leat they've still been collecting points. Coyotes are looking pretty good and the Roadrunners are killing it in the AHL so far. Good times for us to start the season.

Looking like it's going to be a great race for the hat trick title this year. You know I usually log in before we leave port and make my picks for while we're gone, right?

Tucson had its annual Teddy Bear Toss over the weekend. By far, my most favorite game of the season to attend. Always brings a large, festive crowd, it's for a good cause, tossing bears is fun and the Roadrunners won big (8-0!). Best team in the AHL.

Tucson had its annual Teddy Bear Toss over the weekend. By far, my most favorite game of the season to attend. Always brings a large, festive crowd, it's for a good cause, tossing bears is fun and the Roadrunners won big (8-0!). Best team in the AHL.

Thankfully the Yotes loaned us our captain Barrett Hayton so he could play a pivotal role and help dismantle the US' early 2 - 0 lead with a goal and a couple helpers

I've never been so conflicted. I'm very happy the Yotes sent him to play. He's been collecting dust on the bench for most of the season. It would be nice if he could spend some time in the AHL. Stupid rules.

Thankfully the Yotes loaned us our captain Barrett Hayton so he could play a pivotal role and help dismantle the US' early 2 - 0 lead with a goal and a couple helpers

I've never been so conflicted. I'm very happy the Yotes sent him to play. He's been collecting dust on the bench for most of the season. It would be nice if he could spend some time in the AHL. Stupid rules.

Thankfully the Yotes loaned us our captain Barrett Hayton so he could play a pivotal role and help dismantle the US' early 2 - 0 lead with a goal and a couple helpers

I've never been so conflicted. I'm very happy the Yotes sent him to play. He's been collecting dust on the bench for most of the season. It would be nice if he could spend some time in the AHL. Stupid rules.

Why can't he be sent down? Canucks send guys down all the time

CHL players are ineligible for the AHL until they turn 20 or have played 4 years of major junior. So if the Coyotes send Hayton down, he'd have to report to Sault Ste. Marie. The Coyotes have also already burned a year of Hayton's ELC by having him play in 9 games.

I also believe once the player is sent down to juniors, they cannot return to the NHL squad (or minor league affiliate) until his team is eliminated from Memorial Cup contention. At that point he can go to the NHL, AHL or ECHL. It's a good way for someone to get some pro experience before the next CHL season. This applies to any player drafted by a CHL team that then plays for them (I believe) so European players that don't come overseas are not affected by this. That's why I'm annoyed that Jan Jenik reported to Hamilton laaaaate last season because I would have loved to see him in Tucson this year. It catches a few players every year that are too good to be playing juniors but aren't quite NHL ready.

CHL players are ineligible for the AHL until they turn 20 or have played 4 years of major junior. So if the Coyotes send Hayton down, he'd have to report to Sault Ste. Marie. The Coyotes have also already burned a year of Hayton's ELC by having him play in 9 games.

I also believe once the player is sent down to juniors, they cannot return to the NHL squad (or minor league affiliate) until his team is eliminated from Memorial Cup contention. At that point he can go to the NHL, AHL or ECHL. It's a good way for someone to get some pro experience before the next CHL season. This applies to any player drafted by a CHL team that then plays for them (I believe) so European players that don't come overseas are not affected by this. That's why I'm annoyed that Jan Jenik reported to Hamilton laaaaate last season because I would have loved to see him in Tucson this year. It catches a few players every year that are too good to be playing juniors but aren't quite NHL ready.

May have some of the details wrong but that's the gist of it.

Damn. You've been following this shit closely. Quite complicated and you explained a lot of it in great detail. Thanks

One element you didn't touch on that, I'm guessing, may not apply to rookies the same as those who have been in the NHL a while then get sent down/back up/etc, is the concept of clearing waivers. I know that teams often risk losing players on the waiver wire if they don't clear so they can be reluctant to send a guy down that another team may covet. But maybe that's only after a certain age or number of games played at NHL level?

Fought my way back into a tie for first with Mikey for all of one day before shooting myself in the foot and taking Carolina over Washington and YES to Hamilton scoring cuz I did some fancy research that told me I was being clever haha. Back in 2nd place for now.

I like how every single one of us counted Edmonton out of getting 4 vs Boston today then they win 4-1

CHL players are ineligible for the AHL until they turn 20 or have played 4 years of major junior. So if the Coyotes send Hayton down, he'd have to report to Sault Ste. Marie. The Coyotes have also already burned a year of Hayton's ELC by having him play in 9 games.

I also believe once the player is sent down to juniors, they cannot return to the NHL squad (or minor league affiliate) until his team is eliminated from Memorial Cup contention. At that point he can go to the NHL, AHL or ECHL. It's a good way for someone to get some pro experience before the next CHL season. This applies to any player drafted by a CHL team that then plays for them (I believe) so European players that don't come overseas are not affected by this. That's why I'm annoyed that Jan Jenik reported to Hamilton laaaaate last season because I would have loved to see him in Tucson this year. It catches a few players every year that are too good to be playing juniors but aren't quite NHL ready.

May have some of the details wrong but that's the gist of it.

Damn. You've been following this shit closely. Quite complicated and you explained a lot of it in great detail. Thanks

One element you didn't touch on that, I'm guessing, may not apply to rookies the same as those who have been in the NHL a while then get sent down/back up/etc, is the concept of clearing waivers. I know that teams often risk losing players on the waiver wire if they don't clear so they can be reluctant to send a guy down that another team may covet. But maybe that's only after a certain age or number of games played at NHL level?

Part of following a minor league team so closely means I need to learn some of this shit.

CapFriendly has a nice chart that explains waiver eligibility. https://www.capfriendly.com/waivers-faq Poor Eric Comrie had a stretch this season where he couldn't stay in one place. Winnipeg tried to send him down, the Coyotes claimed him, then he was stuck without a spot on the team (claimed players must be put on the NHL roster), got hurt somehow, played a week in Tucson on a conditioning stint (players can be sent down for conditioning without waivers), got traded to the Red Wings, the Red Wings put him on waivers and Winnipeg claimed him back. Winnipeg then put him on waivers again and he finally cleared so he's currently..... in Winnipeg playing for the Moose.

That was a hell of a 3rd period. TSN center ice camera gets my MVP vote.

Might have to make a little mini gold medal to hang around that sucker in future tourneys haha

Freaking refs played way too big a role in that game from the get go with a couple bad calls (one either way) and a number that could've been let go. Guess they feel they need to earn the little token gifts they hand out to them at the closing ceremony.

What a comeback! Funny thing, it was a Russian play that plastered Hayton and his shoulder into the glass late in the third, forcing Thomas to take his place in the next shift in his rotation and see his first ice time of the whole game. Thomas grabs the loose puck and goes in all alone to score the gold medal game winning goal. Just crazy!

Fucked myself over a few weeks ago by accidentally taking Coyotes over Canucks when I was talking strategy with Mike and there was an on ice HT that night so I lost out on a bonus triple while both Ryan and Mike got the bonus.

So I’ve been reaching for long shots ever since and getting tons of 2 out of 3’s but not making up any ground.

Then, tonight, I’m the only one who took Mtl over Buffalo, Nashville held on in OT and the Yotes were up a goal on LA with ten minutes to go. Was looking golden for the only bonus HT of the night then Arizona, 91% faves to win at home over the lowly Kings, find a way to pooch it up and loose in OT.

So Tucson will get to see a bit of Hayton. He's allowed to go to the AHL on a conditioning stint, which is what the Coyotes have done. Of course they're on the road during this time so we won't get to see him in person.

Agreed. No clue what they were thinking with that feature. Totally undermines the original concept and structure of the game. Overall winners now ultimately based on random element of whether or not players got lucky and happened to perform well on days when on ice hat tricks took place. Just dumb.

If they wanted to attach interest to on-ice hat tricks, they should have just added a fourth question for every day asking, "Will there be an on-ice hat trick today?" If you check NO and are right, you get an extra HT. If you check YES and are right, you get 3 extra HTs. Most people would put NO most days since hat tricks aren't that common. Still dumb but at least this would add an element of skill to the selection along with additional risk/reward to the process.

Agreed. No clue what they were thinking with that feature. Totally undermines the original concept and structure of the game. Overall winners now ultimately based on random element of whether or not players got lucky and happened to perform well on days when on ice hat tricks took place. Just dumb.

If they wanted to attach interest to on-ice hat tricks, they should have just added a fourth question for every day asking, "Will there be an on-ice hat trick today?" If you check NO and are right, you get an extra HT. If you check YES and are right, you get 3 extra HTs. Most people would put NO most days since hat tricks aren't that common. Still dumb but at least this would add an element of skill to the selection along with additional risk/reward to the process.

Yeah, you got a comfy cushion now. Mike was out of town for over a week and didn't make a single pick so that helped ya too. I got a triple last night but then Nuux got the same one or I'd be in 2nd all alone. Need some big luck in the home stretch.

You had to know there was some happy campers up here in Canuckville during that one.

But it's all about the playoffs and yer guys were at the tail end of 3 in 4 on the road so we're under no illusions about the big picture haha.

What's yer recollection of Louis Domingue when he was in Arizona? I know his numbers weren't too hot during his stint there but was it just his play or was the team a bit soft on D at the time? He seems to have been quite strong when he was with Tampa